Magnetic cooking: want to boil water in an instant? Have almost instantaneous control over your cooking temperature? An induction cooktop might be for you. | Choice (Chippendale, Australia) (August, 2003)

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They're fast, efficient--and expensive. Induction cooktops have been relatively common overseas for years, but they're only just beginning to make a dent in the market here compared to the more common gas, radiant coil and ceramic options.We tested four models currently available on the Australian market from AEG, ASKO, BRANDT and MIELE. They'll each set you back around $3000, so they're certainly a lot more expensive than other cooktops. But are they worth the extra cost?HOW THEY WORKAlthough they look fairly similar to a ceramic cooktop, it's the way they work that's unique. Each 'element' (induction coil) on the cooktop generates a magnetic field that induces heat in steel cookware placed on top of it. In essence the saucepan or pot becomes the element, so the cooktop surface doesn't get as hot as other cooktops (see the photo, page 33).Because most of the heat and energy are produced in the saucepan itself, the heat response is quicker and more efficient. With more conventional electrical cooking, the heat first has to be transferred from the element, through the ceramic and then to the saucepan and its contents.On top of the cost of an induction cooktop, you may also

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